Russia Wins Back Stolichnaya
Ordinarily, brand disputes bore me, but this one could prove interesting: the Russian state has won back the rights to Stolichnaya in a Dutch court. The state demonstrated that Stoli had not been properly privatized after the collapse of the Soviet Union, so Spirits International had been using it illegally. The brand is to be transferred back to Soyuzplodoimport (owned by Russia). No one knows exactly what will happen now with Stoli production and trade, but certainly more money will be flowing into Russia.
Stoli is an especially interesting brand, since it was basically what turned Americans onto vodka. In 1972, Pepsi brokered a deal with the USSR to allow Stoli to be sold in the US. Ever since, it’s been one of the best selling brands in the US (and the world).
